


Walk away, you know how

by chatnoiristhebest5



Series: Multichapter [7]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Are you surprised about the fluff?, Don't worry after the angst there's fluff!, Established Relationship, F/M, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Identity Reveal, Heavy Angst, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?, don't be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26760052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chatnoiristhebest5/pseuds/chatnoiristhebest5
Summary: Over and over again the thoughts whirled around, and he couldn't stop them, he couldn't gain control.My father is Hawk Moth.My mother isn't dead.This can't be happening.I have to leave.This can't be happening.I need to get out of here.This can't be happening.This can't be happening.This can't--
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Multichapter [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970425
Comments: 2
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaayyyyeeee heavy angst, my friend, didn't think I'd be writing with you during the day! Welp, sorry for the angst, enjoy! (The title is from "Don't Start Now" by Dua Lipa in case anyone was wondering.)

_No. NO. NO!_

Adrien ran his hands through his hair and he closed the door behind him, barely noticing how much he was shaking as he slid down the the floor. He rocked back and forth as his fingers messed up his hair and made him look less "perfect" and more "feral". And in all honesty, he felt like a trapped wild animal.

His breathing was ragged, his vision blurry, and his mind a hurricane. But even in the chaos there a few select things that repeated loud and clear in the storm of his mind. Over and over again the thoughts whirled around, and he couldn't stop them, he couldn't gain control.

_My father is Hawk Moth._

_My mother isn't dead._

_This can't be happening._

_I have to leave._

_This can't be happening._

_I need to get out of here._

_This can't be happening._

_This can't be happening._

_This can't--_

"ADRIEN!" Plagg shouted, waving his paws around frantically, "Snap out of it before you get akumatized!"

Akumatized...? Would his own father do that to him? He almost scoffed out loud for thinking that, of course his father would do that to him, he would do anything. His father was the one hurting his friends, the one who hurt him, the one who almost succeeded in akumatizing _even_ Marinette, the one who repeatedly had him and Marinette thrown into the walls, cars, and the ground, the one who--

The one who almost let him fall to his death when his bodyguard was akumatized.

"Adrien, please," his kwami pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Plagg. I'm sorry for scaring you," Adrien mumbled apologetically.

All that time Adrien thought his father was just grieving, all those times he defended him when his friends thought he was terrible, all those times he'd been criticized for not being good enough--

Adrien shook his head. He couldn't get akumatized, he needed to be there for Marinette. 

Marinette... Maybe he could go see her and tell her about all of that. Yeah, that would be a better idea than staying alone.

* * *

Whenever Adrien came to visit Marinette, it was usually because too much was on his mind and it was better to be with her than alone. It was also usually because he enjoyed her company, and eventually because he loved her and was her boyfriend. He usually came in her room after she would open the hatch with a smirk and a flirty pun, then kissed her after dropping transformation.

Adrien did not usually come into her room without knocking. Adrien did not usually come into her room with a smile that was more of a grimace. Adrien did not come into her room about to break down. And Adrien definitely never came into her room and clung to her for dear life as he sobbed.

Sure, there had been a couple times when he'd had nightmares and came to her looking disheveled, but it was never like that. The way he seemed so small, so broken, so lost... It broke every part of her being.

But she didn't say anything in regard to the reason. She knew it was better to hold him and murmur sweet nothings into his ear and he clung to her. She knew it was better to hold his face in her hands and kiss him softly as she wiped away his tears. She knew it was better to just be there for him until he decided when to tell her what happened, and she would listen and stay by his side because that was what partners were for.

"He's Hawk Moth, Marinette," Adrien said quietly, his voice breaking. "My father is Hawk Moth and I hadn't known until now." He paused, trying to keep his voice steady, to no avail, "He's been keeping my mother in a glass coffin of some sort in a garden basement, but she's not dead. You can get to the basement and his lair from the painting in his office. He's been hurting our friends, hurting me, _hurting you_ \-- all because he was stupid enough to think that he could bring my mother back. Can you believe it? _Can you believe it?_ Neglecting me, criticizing _everything_ I did, making me feel like I was never going to be enough--and I _still_ stood up for him-- only to find out that he was Hawk Moth. My mother would _never_ forgive him. _Never._ "

Marinette kissed his cheek softly, catching a tear with her lips, "I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. I wish there was more I could do to help you."

His eyes turned soft, and he kissed her tenderly, "You being here for me is enough, you've done more than that rotten man has ever done for me. Your family is amazing, Marinette, my friends are great, and you are a blessing. I don't need him, I don't even want to go back there."

"Then don't." Adrien quirked an eyebrow at her, so she continued, "Bring stuff here, we have a room to spare. I don't think my parents would question you or kick you out if you told them that you didn't want to be at home at the moment. We'll take you in, we'll shower you with love and affection, and when you're ready, we can figure out what to do with Hawk Moth."

Adrien knocked the air out her lungs as pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "I'm so lucky to have you in my life, I love you so much," he said before pressing his lips against hers, _hard._

Marinette felt herself flush, her heart racing. That had been unexpected, though no matter how many times they'd kissed, she didn't think her heart would stop fluttering.

"I, uh," she cleared he throat, "I'm gonna go tell my parents."

"I'll go get some stuff."

"Ok, bye. I love you!"

"I love you, too."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, convincing her parents was easy. She told them that Adrien texted her saying that he didn't want to be at his house for a while, and asked if he could stay at her place. She said that she'd told him he could, and that she'd double check with her parents. The bakers, of course, didn't even get mad that she said he could before asking because they already knew that no matter what, he would be welcome in their home.

The problem was that she wasn't sure what to do with the new information Adrien gave her. His father, Gabriel Agreste, a successful, talented man, was Hawk Moth and he wanted the miraculous to wish for his wife to wake up. But why hadn't he taken her to the hospital? What caused her to go into such a deep coma? How could Marinette possibly have Adrien fight against his father? How could she possibly have him give up on having a family again? It wasn't fair to Adrien.

Up in her room, she collapsed on her bed. "Tikki, what am I gonna do?"

"Just wait it out and if Adrien doesn't want to fight Hawk Moth, then you'll get the help of the other miraculous holders," the wise kwami supplied.

"But what about his mom? We can't just leave her there!"

"One step at a time, Marinette. We'll figure it out once we get there."

"I guess you're right," she said with a sigh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien and Marinette must confront Gabriel Agreste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! After this is gonna be an epilogue.

Living with the Dupain-Chengs was much different than the lifestyle Adrien had grown up with, but the change was welcome. There was no one to bring him down, Mr. Dupain was happy to pun along with him, Mrs. Cheng was always giving him affection and food, and Marinette was right there with him. He had so much love and attention, it was crazy, but he loved it. 

He loved waking up and walking to the small kitchen and finding food being made by either Mr. Dupain or Mrs. Cheng, both of them were great cooks. He loved finding Marinette with her guard down, yawning as she padded toward a chair, only awake thanks to the smell of coffee. (She always got embarrassed when he'd say, "Good morning, beautiful.") He loved being around such loving people, and he loved learning what it was like to have a happy family. 

It had been a week since he last saw his father, a week since he'd found out so much. He should've known that he wouldn't get much more time. That day, Nathalie had come telling all of them that his father wanted to try and speak with Adrien, in person. Before Mr. Dupain got too angry, he said he'd go, but only if Marinette was allowed to go with him.

So that was why Adrien found himself in front of the doors of his father's mansion, Marinette looking up at him and squeezing his hand encouragingly as he stared up at the building. He pushed open the door, surprised to find it unlocked. With a raised eyebrow, he made his way to the office, Marinette by his side. 

The door was slightly open, so he pushed it all the way and walked in. The room was a mess. Papers were strewn everywhere, bottles of _something_ laying on the ground, and in the midst of it all, his father, sitting in a chair with disheveled hair, unshaved, his clothes wrinkled. He shot up from his seat, hurrying to Adrien, and wrapping his arms around him tightly. It was odd behavior, coming from a man who rarely ever hugged him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the man said, his voice breaking. "I just wanted your mother to come back, I didn't even realize how much I could've hurt you, letting you know she was there all along. But I didn't think you'd understand, and now I know I should've told you sooner. Adrien, please forgive me, I just need to get those miraculous. I _need to bring her back._ "

Adrien recoiled, pushing his father back and taking a step away from him. "No, I can't just _forgive you._ You hurt my friends, you hurt me, you," his voice shook with anger, Marinette's hand on his arm the only thing making him calm down, "you _almost let me die._ Give up your miraculous the next time you see Ladybug and Chat Noir, accept whatever prison sentence you're given, and then I might visit you in prison. Good bye, father."

He turned on his heel, about to make his escape when his father grabbed his wrist. "I forbid you from leaving." His grip was tight, his nails digging into Adrien's flesh. "You will stay with me because I am your father."

Marinette stepped in, prying the hand off his wrist and shooting him a deadly glare, "You can't forbid him from doing anything. And really, calling yourself his father? You don't deserve him."

She then grabbed Adrien's hand and stormed out, not stopping until they got back to the bakery, up in her room. She then let out a sigh and looked back at Adrien. "Are you ok? You're shaking."

Oh. He hadn't realized that. "I'll be ok, I'm just..." How could he explain?

Thankfully, she just nodded, pulling him into a hug and rubbing circles on his back soothingly. "He doesn't deserve you, don't let him make you feel guilty for doing the right thing, ok?"

He was surprised to hear her voice break, and more surprised to find a lump in his throat form at her words. With Marinette holding him like that, he felt like he was a little kid again, wishing his father would spend more time with him, his mother holding him and telling him that he would come soon. And all at once, the floodgates opened.

He wished he had a family like Marinette's, with laughter, love, and happiness in the air. He wished he knew some way to wake his mother up, anything other than using the miraculous. He wished that he could've stopped his father, that he could've been there with him, asking him if he wanted to talk it out and they could grieve together. But all he could do was wish, and he so badly wanted things to be different.

"I wish things were different," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

"Well," she sighed, moving back to cup his face in her hands, "think about the good that came out of this. You're a superhero, you have a bunch of friends who love you, you have my parents who will always be there for you no matter what, and, even if I'm not that much, you have me. And you know what I'm here for? To make sure you know you are loved, you got that, _chaton_? You are loved and you don't need that sad excuse of a father."

She was right. He was a superhero, with Plagg there by his side to make him laugh, even if he could be a bit annoying. He did make friends, good friends, and he supposed that they could be his weird, silly family. He did have the amazing Dupain-Chengs, there to feed him, teach him basic household tasks, and show him parental love. But most of all, he had Marinette, his partner, the girl he loved, someone who was always there for him no matter which side of the mask he was on and she was on. And even if he didn't have his mom or dad, he had built his own family. 

But it just wasn't the same, and it would take a lot of time to accept the fact that soon enough, he would have to face his father as Hawk Moth, to end all of the chaos once and for all. One day, though, things would be alright.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the last chapter!! It's pretty short but I hope you like it.

It was a month since the final battle took place, though Marinette wouldn't really call it a battle. Not once in her life did she ever think that taking Hawk Moth down would end in such an anticlimactic way.

He had stood on the Eiffel Tower, and let himself be seen by civilians. Almost immediately, Ladybug arrived on scene, Chat Noir nowhere to be found. Of course, the media didn't know that it was because Chat Noir's father was the guy under the mask. She wasn't supposed to know either, so she acted shocked when he handed her his miraculous and complied with the police.

When she was bombarded with questions that all boiled down to, "Where is Chat Noir?" She simply told them that he was out of town and feeling sick, so that was why he hadn't shown up. They didn't need to know that the boy under the mask didn't want to face the cold, hard, rock-solid truth that his father was the same man who had been terrorizing their city. They didn't need to know where he was or how he really felt. Even when they came to find Adrien and started asking him all kinds of questions, he stayed quiet until Marinette's dad told them all to get out and closed up shop early.

So there they were, a month later, sitting on the couch, Adrien head in the lap as she played with his hair, an calm silence between them. Her parents were down stairs in the bakery, that Saturday afternoon in full swing down there. Their kwamis sat nearby, Plagg's purring being the only thing breaking the silence.

Adrien turned on his back, looking up at her lovingly as he reached out and brushed some of her fringe aside. She gave him a small smile, knowing that he knew something was on her mind.

"I'm fine, really," he assured her. "You don't have to keep thinking about everything that's happened lately."

"I know," she sighed, "I just wish there was something more I could do."

"'Something more you could do?'" he sat up, holding her face in his hand, "You've done so much, Marinette, what more could you possibly do?"

"I don't know... Erase the memory that your dad happened to be your enemy and the very man who terrorized this city?"

His eyes softened, and he kissed her tenderly, "You can't do that. But remember what you told be? About looking at the good that came out of it? Well, think of it this way, we've grown closer, haven't we? I think that's important to remember."

He was right. They had grown closer and she should be thinking about the bright side, but it was kind of hard to do that when she knew that despite him saying he was fine that he was still hurting. She wished she could make the pain go away. Adrien didn't need that, he didn't need to have more painful memories surrounding his family. 

At least doctors were starting to take a look at his mom, they were trying to figure out a way to wake her up. Authorities gathered that she'd gotten sick from using the broken peacock miraculous, thanks to Gabriel's questioning. Since the temple in Tibet came out of nowhere, she'd taken the horse miraculous and teleported there to ask about cures. They'd told her to bring Adrien's mom and have made some progress. That was another good thing to look at.

Marinette rested her forehead against Adrien's, "You're right, I should listen to the advice you gave me, good things have happened."

He grinned at her, "Like I've said before, it's you me and against the world, Bugaboo. I'll be alright."

"I'll always be here for you, Adrien."

"Likewise, Marinette. And I know, it's one of the reasons why I love you." She smiled as he kissed her forehead. "Now... How about we go get some croissants? I'm pretty sure I smell a fresh batch."

"Ok, chaton."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, the end! What did you think?


End file.
